Church of St. John the Baptist

Monument - Baie-Mahault

This edifice is the work of Ali Tur, architect delegated to the colonies by the French government in the wake of the hurricane of 1928. The 23-meter-long stone building, erected in 1931, is designed in the form of a Latin Cross. Its facade contrasts solid, curved masses—two imposing symmetrical towers rising on either side of the bell tower—with an open trellis design ornamenting the front of the three-bell tower, adding a feeling of lightness to the building. Constructed at the same time as the church, the main altar is inspired by the Art deco movement, with long, simple lines and a stained-glass window effect. Placed under the patron saint of John the Baptist, the parish is one of only two in Guadeloupe (along with Le Moule) to hold an event to light the “feu de la Saint-Jean“ (St. John’s bonfire) in the presence of local celebrities. In 1820, Abbot Simon Léon made plans to expand the presbytery to create a temporary church, but the project was scrapped when Father Randon decided to rebuild the entire structure. Construction of a wood building was begun in 1827 on the site of the presbytery, overseen by the parish priest of the time, Abbot Limarola, after levying a special tax for the purpose in the amount of 57,770.80 francs. The palms and mango trees lining the avenue leading up to the church from the market square (once the site of a battery of cannons pointing toward the sea) were planted in 1843.